Right from the word go in Rajya Sabha on Friday, Congress made it clear that it was not going to let controversy surrounding Durga issue go and demanded that nothing less than an unconditional apology from the HRD minister would be acceptable to it.
After Thursday's rhetoric on Mahishasur Diwas that Congress used to its advantage by launching a stinging counter attack on the BJP, HRD minister Smriti Irani appeared much subdued in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
"I want your ruling that nothing which is blasphemous will ever be said in this House against any Prophet, God or any deity.... There has to be an unconditional apology,"said Congress leader Anand Sharma.
Irani on Thursday had read out a pamphlet allegedly distributed in JNU campus on "Mahishasur Diwas" that gave details of Durga's relations with the demon and had sexual connotations.
As other members of the opposition joined the apology chorus, Smriti Irani, wearing a Saffron colour Sari, rejected demands for an apology and tried to put up defence by saying that she herself was a Durga worshiper.
"I myself am a practicing Hindu and a Durga worshiper. The documents I read yesterday are authenticated official documents from the JNU, these are not documents of the government,"said Smriti.
An unrelenting Opposition, however, did not accept the argument and outshouted Smriti who was then gestured to sit down.
Anand Sharma pressed again that either the chair should give a ruling that anything from a pamphlet/ poster can be read out in the house without any authentication by Parliament secretariat or else the minister should apologise.
Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi tried to attack Congress saying it had become a pattern for them to seek a short-duration discussion, a couple of calling attention motions and an apology in every session, while showing no interest in legislative business.
But his argument could not stand before a united Opposition. As the house sizzled, deputy chairman P J Kurien conceded that it has been a tradition that nothing blasphemous or against any community will be raised in the House.
He assured members that he would go through the records and expunge anything blasphemous.
Smriti got a breather from apology demand when Mayawati rose to ask why government has not replied to her question whether a Dalit is a part of the judicial commission.
Questioning Smriti's reply where she said it was a single judge commission and Mayawati's demand cannot be accepted, Mayawati said, "The single judge commission has Justice Roopanwal who is from the upper caste.
Government's intention is dubious on this. As per the laws, the government can increase the strength of the commission, and add a Dalit member, but it has not done this so far, which shows its intentions towards the Scheduled Castes.
As Mayawati took off from there and started reading out how BJP government is trying to muzzle and silence Dalits because of its upper caste politics, Smriti tried to shot back but her voice got drowned in BSP supremo's continuous rantings that even deputy chairman failed to stop.
After Mayawati, it was CPM leader Yechury's turn to call spade a spade.
Yechury began by asking the chair to give a ruling that anything from the cyberspace should allowed to be read in the parliament without any authentication.
"Without this things be established nothing should go on record," said Yechury.
Barring brief interjections by leader of the house, Arun Jaitley, the BJP bench listened as Yechury gave them a lecture on different narratives of Hindu mythology, including Mahabali, a Asura (demon) King who is worshipped in Kerala as God but was an adversary of another God Vishnu.
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